The present invention is directed to an exercise and video game device, and more particularly to an aerobic exercise and video game device to encourage people to commence and continue an aerobic exercise program.
It is generally accepted today that aerobic exercise promotes cardiovascular fitness. Exercise increases the continuous flow of blood through the heart and large skeletal muscles, increasing their effectiveness. More importantly, exercise helps fight, or prevent, atherosclerosis (narrowing of arteries) and coronary heart disease.
It has been estimated that 50% of all people who start an exercise program fail to keep exercising beyond three months. Though there can be many reasons for this drop out rate, a primary reason is probably the tedious nature of exercise programs.
The introduction and rapid acceptance of video games over the last ten years have, to a great extent, altered the traditional game market, certainly with regard to the younger generations. The inherently addictive nature of video games (i.e., one has to play repeatedly to gain sufficient skills to progress through all the levels of play) has probably caused those that play them to shun the traditional board games.
The present invention integrates the operations of a video game with an exercise program, in the hope that those who use this invention will find that the addictive nature of the video game will keep them involved longer in an exercise program.
Video games are usually constructed with multiple levels, each level being progressively harder to complete than the previous one. For progress to occur through all the levels of the game, the game player must learn his way through the game. This often requires repeated tries at each level, with a scoring system recording the progress achieved. Effective fitness routines share many of the characteristics of video games. Not only is fitness achieved through repeated exercise, but once the exerciser gets used to a particular level of exercise, further increases in the level of fitness are achieved only if the workout level becomes progressively harder and the workout time at the harder level is increased. This process continues until the exerciser reaches the desired standard of fitness.
For example, it would be very unlikely, and also imprudent, for an individual who is not fit to attempt a marathon on the first day of a fitness program. Similarly, it is nearly impossible for an inexperienced video player to attempt the ultimate level of expertise at his first attempt at the game. Both the exercise program and the video game player must be progressed through layered levels of increasing difficulty, each one taking perhaps a longer period of time, so that each level is perfected before the next level is attempted.
Combining exercising programs and video game playing, with the heart rate of the game player controlling the speed of the video game, would not only make exercising less tedious, but would ensure that the exerciser does not over exert himself.
Various patents have attempted to integrate video games with exercise equipment; the primary focus of these patents being to ensure that the routine of exercise is made less onerous.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,789 to Hector discloses a video game, or an exercise system utilizing a video display, which is played by movement of the game player's feet. The apparent objective is to require the game player to exercise while playing the game by moving his feet. However the game player is required to move at the game's speed. The game in no way alters to conform to the individual's fitness level.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,447 to Mansfield integrates an exercise machine with a video game. To play the game, the operator is required to move a resistance creating assembly, and in doing so, exercises. As with the previous patent, no attempt is made to adjust the video game to the player's fitness level.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,095 to Lapeyre discloses an exercise device connected to a video machine. The speed of the exercise device, and the accompanying video display, is controlled by the exerciser. As the exerciser signals an increase in speed to the exercise device, an accompanying signal is sent to the video machine, so that the exerciser is presented with a visual display of the increase in speed. The exerciser's heart rate is monitored and displayed on a T.V. monitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,567 to Phillips is directed to an exercise bicycle used to operate a video game. The game player receives exercise while operating the bicycle, and at the same time, moving the handlebars. The video game operates at a preset speed, thus making no allowance for the fitness of the player.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,817 to Buckley is directed to an exercise machine which allows for movement of a control rod, e.g. a handlebar, to provide two degrees of freedom to a controllable character in a video display. Resistance is provided to the handlebar to ensure that physical exertion is required by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,917 to Yang discloses an exercise device which is furnished with an electronic display or a mechanical belt for simulating road conditions. A microprocessor controls the position of the exercise bicycle with respect to the scene being displayed and the running speed of the road condition simulation.
The intent of all these patents is to integrate exercise with video display. However, except for the Lapeyre U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,095 which displays the heart rate, none of them suggest monitoring the heart rate of the exerciser. Furthermore, none of them appear to disclose any means for altering the speed or skill level of the opposition in a video display in response to the output level of the exercise device falling outside a preset range.